The Group of Ministers (GoM) on the Bhopal gas tragedy, which held its last meeting here Sunday and will submit its report to the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, on Monday, will recommend filing of a curative petition in the Supreme Court to fix criminal liability, seeking extradition of former UCC chief Warren Anderson and cleaning up toxic material from the Bhopal site.
Sources close to the GoM said the curative petition in the Supreme Court would focus mainly on criminal liability of the accused and seek more stringent charges.
The court had earlier diluted the charges against Union Carbide officials — from the IPC section on culpable homicide not amounting to murder to only criminal negligence.
The GoM headed by the home minister, Mr P. Chidambram, which met for the third successive session on Sunday morning, is learnt to have suggested approaching the United States to seek extradition of UCC’s former CEO to face trial in India. The December 2-3, 1984 gas tragedy left over 15,000 dead and thousands maimed.
The GoM is likely to recommend burying of contaminated soil at the site in a scientific manner, putting the onus on the Madhya Pradesh government to carry out the task, with assistance from the Centre.
Briefing reporters, Mr Chidambaram said the GoM had gone into all aspects of the tragedy.
“We covered all subjects we had identified in the beginning. The minutes are being drawn up, and tomorrow the GoM will meet again at 10 am to finalise the minutes and the conclusions. I expect we will be able to send the report to the Prime Minister tomorrow afternoon.”
Sources said the GoM extensively discussed providing additional compensation to victims as the relief so far was inadequate. The recommendations may also include victims’ classification on the basis of health indices like injuries suffered and aftereffects of exposure to poisonous chemicals.
Showing posts with label Union Carbide. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Union Carbide. Show all posts
Monday, June 21, 2010
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Bhopal gas disaster: GoM panel meets for second day
Meeting for the second day in a row, the Group of Ministers (GoM) on Bhopal gas tragedy today discussed legal options available in the aftermath of the trial court judgement and reached “some tentative conclusions“.
“We discussed all pending legal issues and legal options available to the government after the judgement of trial court,” said Home Minister P. Chidambaram, who heads to the reconstituted GoM, after its meeting here.
“We heard all concerned and reached some tentative conclusions,” he told reporters but did not give details.
He said “these conclusions” will be firmed up in the report to be submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday.
The nine-member GoM was reconstituted on June 7 amid raging controversy over the quantum of punishment given to those accused in the case, with the political class in unison terming it as “too little, too late“.
It began its meeting on Friday.
Among various issues, the GoM is considering increase in compensation for those affected by the 1984 disaster.
The Planning Commission has already approved a package of Rs 982 crore for the gas disaster victims.
Chidambaram said the GoM, at the next meeting this evening, will discuss issues relating to health and how to bring healthcare to people who have suffered and “perhaps continue to suffer“.
Issues related to drinking water will also be discussed.
The Prime Minister has directed the GoM to expedite its work and asked it on June 14 to submit report within 10 days.
“We discussed all pending legal issues and legal options available to the government after the judgement of trial court,” said Home Minister P. Chidambaram, who heads to the reconstituted GoM, after its meeting here.
“We heard all concerned and reached some tentative conclusions,” he told reporters but did not give details.
He said “these conclusions” will be firmed up in the report to be submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday.
The nine-member GoM was reconstituted on June 7 amid raging controversy over the quantum of punishment given to those accused in the case, with the political class in unison terming it as “too little, too late“.
It began its meeting on Friday.
Among various issues, the GoM is considering increase in compensation for those affected by the 1984 disaster.
The Planning Commission has already approved a package of Rs 982 crore for the gas disaster victims.
Chidambaram said the GoM, at the next meeting this evening, will discuss issues relating to health and how to bring healthcare to people who have suffered and “perhaps continue to suffer“.
Issues related to drinking water will also be discussed.
The Prime Minister has directed the GoM to expedite its work and asked it on June 14 to submit report within 10 days.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Arjun flew out Warren, says Pranab
The Union finance minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, acknowledged on Sunday that the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh headed by Mr Arjun Singh had taken the decision in December 1984 to send Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson out of Bhopal in view of the deteriorating law and order situation there following the gas disaster.
Mr Mukherjee, conceding that the Congress was in power both in New Delhi and Bhopal at the time, said: “The then Madhya Pradesh chief minister Arjun Singh made a statement published in an English daily, in which Mr Singh had said the law and order situation would have deteriorated in Bhopal... People’s frenzy was high, tempers were running high; the government had no other option than to let Anderson go out of Bhopal.”
Mr Mukherjee, conceding that the Congress was in power both in New Delhi and Bhopal at the time, said: “The then Madhya Pradesh chief minister Arjun Singh made a statement published in an English daily, in which Mr Singh had said the law and order situation would have deteriorated in Bhopal... People’s frenzy was high, tempers were running high; the government had no other option than to let Anderson go out of Bhopal.”
